Brace and wire-tightener for fences.



No. 673,188. Patented Apr. 30, I90i. W. A. WILLIS.

BRACE AND WIRE TIGHTENER FOB FENCES.

(No Model.)

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. ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

W'ILLIAM A. WILLIS, OF GALT, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO THOMAS SNODGRASS, OF SAME PLACE.

BRACE AN D -WlRE-T|GHTEN ER FOR FENCES.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 673,188, dated April 30, 1901.

Application filed March 16, 1900. Serial No. 8,939. (No modeLJ T aZZ whom, it may concern.

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM A. WILLIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Galt, in the county of Grundy and State of Missouri, have invented new and useful Improvements in Braces and Wire-Tighteners for Fences, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the general class of fences, but more particularly to a postbrace and wire-tightener therefor; and the object thereof is to provide means for tightening the line-wires and straightening the end posts should the fence become disarranged through the action of heat, cold, or other causes.

With this end in View my invention consists in a suspended lever attached to the fence and posts in such a manner that said posts will be retained in a vertical position and all the line-wires will be held taut.

Peculiar details of construction and novel combinations of parts, which also form essential embodiments of this invention, will also be specifically described hereinafter, recited in the claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a fence of suitable construction to which my invention is applied, the parts of which are shown in a relaxed position; and Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof, showing the arrangements of the several elements in proper position.

In Fig. 1 it will be seen that the postdesignated by the reference-numeral 1 is shown out of a perpendicular or vertical plane, while the post 2 is readily fastened in the ground. They support a series of line-wires 3, surmounted by a longitudinal parallel line-wire 4:, which is connected to the end post 1 by a loop 5.

The extreme upper ends of the posts shown are contracted to form annular shoulders 63, the purpose of which will be presently apparent.

'7 designates an inclined brace comprising a straight narrow bar, of wood or metal, chamfered at its upper end, and passes through the loops 5 to engage the shoulder 6 on the post 1. A loop-wire 8 also connects the brace 7 at its lower end to the post at the point indicated by the numeral 8*.

Intermediate the ends of the lever 9, which is connected to the post 2 by loops of wire,

(designated by the reference-numerals 10 and 11,) is positioned one end of a wire loop 12, as at 9, which is also connected to the brace '7 at a point opposite its juncture with the loop 8.

It will be noticed that the lever 9 is out of a vertical plane when detached from the post 2, and at the juncture of the loops 8 and 12, as at 17, with the lever 9 is at an angle to a straight line drawn from the points 8 and 9*, so that when the lever 9 is drawn to a vertical plane the brace 7 will be raised or elevated, and thereby straighten the post 1 as well as tighten the line-wires.

In order to hold and retain the lever 9 in proper position, as shown in Fig. 2, I provide a loop 13 at the upper end thereof, which is designed to engage with the contracted portion or shoulder on the post 2. The fulcrum of the lever being at 9*, it is obvious that both posts will be held in straight vertical position, and after the device is once set up any tendency of the posts to lean away from a perpendicular will be prevented.

Ordinarily all that will be necessary to secure the loop 13 to the post 2 will be to force the upper end of the lever 9 toward the same; but should the distance be too great to easily accomplish this I provide a detachable and supplemental lever 14, having an engaging means 15 for the post 2 at one end (preferably a loop) and slip the said supplemental lever through the loop 13, and by drawing upon or applying power to the handle 16 thereof the upper end of the lever 9 can be drawn toward the post 2 for a sufficient distance to allow the loop 15 to be detached from the post 2. The loop 13 can then be thrown into engagement with the top of the post 2 and the desired result can readily be accomplished.

From the foregoing it will be readily seen that I have provided a cheap simple device of the character described and one which will effectually perform the functions for which it is intended.

While I have shown and described in detail what at this time appears to me to be the very best means of accomplishing the desired result, I am aware that slight changes in construction and arrangements of parts might be made without affecting the utility of this invention, and I reserve the right to make such changes and alterations as would properly come within the scope of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a device of the character described; the combination with two posts, and a plurality of line-wires; of a brace engaging one of said posts, a lever, a connection between the lever and brace, a plurality of flexible connections secured to the other post and the lever whereby the lever is suspended, and a flexible connection between the first-named post and brace, whereby said brace can be raised or elevated.

2. ha device of the character described; the combination with a fence-post; of an inclined brace connected thereto, a lever, a connection between the lever and brace, a loop connected at one end to the lever intermediate the ends thereof and having a free end adapted to engage a suitable support whereby the brace can be elevated to force the post in a vertical position, and means for retaining said brace in engagement with the post.

3. The combination with two fence-posts; of a brace connected to one of the posts, a lever connected to the brace and to the other post, and adapted to raise the brace and a loop on the lever intermediate the ends thereof for engagement with the last-named post to hold the brace raised.

4. The combination with two fence-posts and the line-wires of the fence, of an inclined brace engaging the upper end of one post, a

I connection between the lower end of the post 

